Chapter 135: The Maid and Starnight Castle

Phield’s long-awaited bunny girls never materialized. Rabbit demi-humans tended to marry early—many of them already had three children by sixteen. It would hardly make sense to have them working in the castle while dragging a group of children behind them.

“What a pity, what a pity,” Phield said with a wry shake of his head.

Rabbit demi-humans were practically born to be farm serfs. They reproduced quickly, lived on poor food, and had timid personalities. However, because they became pregnant too early and lacked proper nutrition, their lifespans were short, and their physical strength was extremely weak.

There were very few cat demi-humans in the territory, and that Lumi girl was only fourteen. Phield intended to send her to school.

After briefly asking about their family situations, Phield approved all four girls. The maids would take them to wash up, and once they changed into maid uniforms, they would officially become part of the castle staff.

After washing up, the new maids boarded a carriage bound for Starnight Castle. Maid Nina accompanied them.

In another open carriage, twelve newly purchased female slaves were crammed together. Four guards in leather armor watched over them. They were being taken to the open grounds of Starnight Castle to scatter grass seeds.

Lily sat upright in her carriage. It wasn’t a luxurious carriage at all—just a simple wooden cart with no cover, two wheels rattling beneath it as a horse pulled it along.

She noticed the other girls sitting with her hugging their knees, bodies curled up, heads lowered, as if all of them were afraid. Even the demi-human girl was the same—the dog ears drooping on her head made her look like a refugee.

But Lily was different.

Her features were still somewhat youthful, yet there was not the slightest trace of childishness in her expression. She sat with her back perfectly straight and her face completely calm.

She had heard that Baron Phield liked his subordinates to stand tall and proud. He even demanded the same posture from the fierce soldiers under his command.

Lily glanced at the slave-packed cart ahead. The slaves inside looked back at her with eyes full of envy, staring at her the entire way.

That stirred a faint sense of pleasure within her.

But she did not show it. She didn’t even bother to look at them directly. She had her own pride.

By the time they arrived at Starnight Castle, it was already getting late.

“Wow! That’s the castle!”

A cry of astonishment came from the carriage ahead. Even slaves could not help but feel stunned by the sight of Starnight Castle.

It was like a shut-in who had never left his home suddenly seeing a glamorous teacher from the city for the first time—so overwhelming in scale that it left him utterly shocked.

The maids covered their mouths and tilted their heads upward, unable to find words to describe the shock in their hearts.

Lily was no exception.

Starnight Castle had endured corruption and the ravages of war, so it was no longer as magnificent as it had once been. Yet its carved beams, painted structures, grand scale, and ancient elegance still left everyone deeply awestruck.

The enormous stone structure dwarfed every building in Wind Breath Village.

Thinking of the shabby huts they themselves lived in, the girls suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of inferiority.

“Stay close to me. Without my orders, you are not allowed to go anywhere,” Nina said firmly. “This is the first lesson I’m teaching you—and the most important one. Never act on your own and invade the lord’s privacy. That would be a fatal mistake.”

Everyone nodded quickly.

Nina gave a satisfied nod. After signaling the guards to open the side gate, she continued,

“From now on, this is where you will work. Servants are not allowed to use the main entrance. Only the side door. Remember that.”

Once inside, they stepped into the main hall.

Expensive carpets covered the floor. Crossed greatswords hung on the walls. Thick curtains large enough to cover an entire wall framed the windows.

All of it was beyond anything they had ever imagined.

“Starnight Castle is still undergoing repairs. More renovations will be needed in the future.”

Nina was quite satisfied with their astonished expressions. When she first entered the Ross family’s castle to work, she had been so frightened she trembled.

“Good heavens, a place this luxurious still needs renovation?” asked a freckled girl, her eyes wide.

“Of course. For our noble Baron, this place is rather shabby.” Nina crossed her arms and addressed the girl who had spoken. “Freckles, your cleaning area is the first floor. Aside from rooms with signs and locked rooms, every corner must be cleaned twice a day. During the rest of the time, you’ll water the garden.”

“Y-Yes!”

Nina then led them to the second floor, where the entire level consisted of bedrooms.

“These are all sleeping quarters. Gray Fur, the second floor is your responsibility. Besides that, you will serve Lady Ashina. I believe you know her—she was the one who saved you back then, correct?”

“Yes. I will do my duty with all my heart.”

The demi-human girl with black animal ears and a tail nodded obediently. Her fluffy tail wagged back and forth nonstop.

Demi-humans were not only categorized by species, but also by color.

For example, black wolf demi-humans had black ears and tails, while their eyes were green. Their skin, of course, was not black—otherwise they would only be found in cotton fields rather than inside castles.

The third floor contained not only bedrooms but also a display hall, a private reception room, and a study, filled with various collections and books.

“The lord frequently uses the study, so it is especially important,” Nina said. “Lily, you will be responsible for cleaning the third floor. It must remain spotless.”

Lily’s heart pounded wildly.

She knew that Phield liked spending time in the study. That meant she would have many opportunities to be near the baron.

“Yes,” the girl answered, her voice trembling slightly. She had thought she would remain calm.

“Are you nervous?” Nina tilted her head.

“A little.”

“That’s normal. Finally, Amy—you will serve Miss Charlotte. Whatever she asks you to do, just do it. You don’t need to worry about anything else.”

The maids clearly favored Charlotte more. After all, she was a human Divine Chosen, so they naturally felt closer to her.

“Next, I’ll take you to your rooms. Two people will share one room. As for visits home, I will arrange the dates.”

“I’m already looking forward to life here.”

“Me too. Can we share a room?”

The new maids were thrilled, whispering excitedly among themselves. Having their own room in the castle was something to be deeply proud of.

Starnight Castle also had a fourth floor, a rooftop level, and a basement. Nina and the other senior servants would take care of those areas themselves.

In truth, there were still far too few servants. But it was better to lack numbers than to lower standards, so they would make do for now.

Meanwhile, Phield was in Windrise Town.

Kaor had gathered the children of the territory who were between twelve and fifteen years old. There were both boys and girls, and all of them were freemen.

There weren’t many in total—only eleven.

Phield recognized most of them: Tate’s daughter Alexia, the cat-girl child Lumi, the little girl Sarah rescued from Bull Territory, and several other children of freemen.

Lumi had originally been a slave, but the wolf demi-human warriors had pooled together the precious silver coins they earned from killing enemies to buy her freedom and give her the chance to study.

That shocked Phield deeply.

“We can’t let Lady Ashina lose face. Demi-humans are intelligent too. She won’t disappoint the lord.”

Kai had said those words.

“Heh. Healthy competition.” Phield’s lips curved upward.

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